Kentucky returning to CBS Sports Classic in December

Kentucky men’s basketball returns to the CBS Sports Classic this December when the Cats face Ohio State at Madison Square Garden, Dec. 21 at 4:30 p.m. CT in New York City.

The Wildcats and the Buckeyes will be the second leg of the doubleheader, with UCLA and North Carolina getting the action started at 2 p.m. CT.

Fans interested in attending the event can register to receive direct email alerts regarding ticket news and other event details at www.cbssportsclassic.com/tickets. Fans who register for these alerts will receive key information on travel package sales and will also be eligible for an exclusive ticket presale.

“As we enter our 11th year of the CBS Sports Classic, we’re thrilled to return to the iconic venue at Madison Square Garden featuring some of the nation’s most elite men’s basketball programs,” said Dan Weinberg, EVP Programming, CBS Sports. “Throughout our more than four decades of college basketball coverage, we have showcased the game at the highest level, from the first tip of the season through the final buzzer in April, and the CBS Sports Classic is a prime example of our commitment to highlighting the best in college basketball.”

Madison Square Garden is the seventh different venue to play host to the CBS Sports Classic, having already done so in 2022. Throughout the 10-year history of the CBS Sports Classic, the United Center in Chicago (2014, 2018), Barclays Center in Brooklyn (2015), T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (2016, 2019, 2021), Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (2017), Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland (2020) and State Farm Arena in Atlanta (2023), have also hosted the event.

The CBS Sports Classic annually brings together four of the nation’s most successful college basketball programs. The quartet owns a combined 26 national championships, with UCLA (11), Kentucky (8) and North Carolina (6) ranking first, second and third, respectively, in NCAA history. Additionally, all four programs rank in the top six in all time Final Four berths, compiling 66 total appearances between them (North Carolina, 21; UCLA, 18; Kentucky, 17; Ohio State, 10).

GAME AT GONZAGA SET

The third installment of a six-year series between Kentucky and Gonzaga will take place on Dec. 7, 2024, in Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. A game time and television network will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for this year’s matchup go on sale to the public on June 28 at noon CT at climatepledgearena.com.

The teams will meet in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena during the 2025-26 season.